Worcestershire made 350 in a first round County Championship 2024 match in Birmingham after Alex Davies put them in. Kashif Ali made 110 and Gareth Roderick 68, but Warwickshire, led by Chris Rushworth (3-97) did well to restrict the tourists after they were 180-1.

The hosts followed a similar pattern. They seemed on top at 179-2, but they were bowled out for 333 despite half-centuries from Will Rhodes (64), Ed Barnard (89), and Dan Mousley (62).

For Worcestershire, Nathan Smith claimed 3-49 and Adam Finch 3-56. Smith, who also plays for Wellington, also ran out Jacob Bethell, rounding off a fine County Championship debut, though not before an incident that caused some mirth.

Smith was in his follow through when wicketkeeper Michael Burgess played a ball back at him. He caught the ball and, as tried to throw down the stumps at the striker’s end, as bowlers often do. Unfortunately, while he gathered the ball properly, it slipped out of his hand as he tried to throw and hit Smith on the side of his head.

Smith, however, had the last laugh, when he knocked Burgess’s off stump flying not too long afterwards.

Batting with a lead of 27, Worcestershire were 237-2 at stumps on day three after Jake Libby (75 not out) and Kashif (133) added 200 for the second wicket. In the process, Kashif became only the second Worcestershire batter to score two hundreds in the same first-class match against Warwickshire, after Glenn Turner, who did it twice.

Watch Nathan Smith lob a ball into his own head while threatening to throw:

pic.twitter.com/g7b9tpZXOk

— No Context County Cricket (@NoContextCounty) April 6, 2024